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One of a small number of London’s ethnic restaurants to have a branch in its native country, Au Lac is a large Vietnamese eatery a few minutes walk off the main strip of Old Street’s nightlife. The menu is suitably exotic, with plenty of richly-flavoured Vietnamese seafood, alongside the Oriental restaurant standards.
Bahn Quon steamed rolls were irresistibly light and tasty and arrived in a pile large enough to make a meal on their own. Char-grilled monkfish was a great seafood variation on the duck pancakes so familiar from Chinatown, with crisp, thin Bahn Quon pancakes. Our waiter failed to warn us when we accidentally ordered a traditional Vietnamese crab dish and was unable to explain to us how to get into it using only chopsticks, but the bits we could get at were rich with spicy aromas that perfectly complemented the salty, succulent crab.
Prices are as low as the portions are huge, yet the restaurant was completely empty on a Thursday evening, with only two others dining in a space that could comfortably have seated 40. The reason is glaringly obvious, in an unappealing décor and a set of too-bright lights that create an atmosphere as intimate as McDonalds, but rather less cheery.
This is a more than decent restaurant, which is excellent value, but it will have to seriously redecorate if it is to attract the limited passing trade on the Kingsland Road.
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Alternative
South East Asian Cuisine Near Au Lac |
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| London Restaurants |
| Song Que |
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134
Kingsland Road,
Hackney,
London,
E2
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3 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| One of the best Vietnamese in town and also one of the cheapest, this hugely popular place offers over 150 dishes, all excellent. It’s in ...More...
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| London Restaurants |
| Wagamama |
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1
Ropemaker Street,
The City,
London,
EC2Y
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20 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Taking inspiration from Japanese ramman-noodle bars, Wagamama is the ultimate in high-quality, fast food. Huge bowls of steaming, soupy noodles, chicken dumplings with a chilli-soy ...More...
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Local
Restaurants Near Au Lac |
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| London Restaurants |
| The Grocery Cafe |
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54-56
Kingsland Road,
Shoreditch,
E2
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1 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| This Shoreditch cafe on Kingsland Road is a great spot for the full English. You can breakfast on poached eggs, cooked tomatoes and succulent sausages ...More...
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| London Restaurants |
| Shish Hoxton |
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313-319
Old Street,
Hoxton,
London,
EC1V
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5 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Opening a 'Turkish brasserie' on Old Street among the scores of established take-aways is a bold move by Shish, the original branch of which is ...More...
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| London Hotels |
| Crowne Plaza London Shoreditch |
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100
Shoreditch High Street,
London,
E1
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6 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Shoreditch is a great spot for going out with Old Street a hive of late night activity. It also happens to be next to the ...More...
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| London Hotels |
| Express by Holiday Inn London City |
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275
Old Street
London,
EC1V
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7 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Modern and functional, you get what you pay for at this middle ranking hotel close to the City and the reasonable rates mean that it ...More...
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| London Event |
| Future Map |
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20 Hoxton Square,
20
Hoxton Square,
N1
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5 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| The annual Future Map exhibition, now in its twelfth year, is a showcase of the best emerging talent from graduates of the University of the ...More...
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| London Event |
| Tree Decorations Workshop |
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The Making Space,
10
Sunbury Workshops,
Swanfield Street,
E2
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5 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Learn how to make your own glass baubles this Christmas at The Making Space where they're running a special Tree Decorations Workshop. Simon, a prop ...More...
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Local
Sights and Attractions Near Au Lac |
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| London Sights and Attractions |
| Limoncello |
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15a
Cremer Street,
Hoxton,
London,
E2
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2 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| This cutting edge contemporary art gallery is run by director Rebecca May Marston, a graduate of the RCA's curating course who first took on the ...More...
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| London Sights and Attractions |
| Geffrye Museum |
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136
Kingsland Road,
Hackney,
London,
E2
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4 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| There aren't many museums that can have William Morris and Ikea under the same roof, but the Geffyre is one of them. The focus of ...More...
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Local
Shopping Near Au Lac |
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| London Shopping |
| Food Hall |
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374-378
Old Street,
Shoreditch,
London,
EC1V
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4 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| A well known deli among the foodies of Shoreditch, this specialist food shop is perfect for those who like a bit of a treat. Close ...More...
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| London Shopping |
| Leila's |
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17
Calvert Avenue,
Shoreditch,
London,
E2
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5 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Leila's on Arnold Circus is a legendary coffee spot where they serve Monmouth coffee in an eccentric cafe setting that feels like you're in your ...More...
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Local
Education Near Au Lac |
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| London Education |
| The Making Space |
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10
Sunbury Workshops,
Swanfield Street,
Shoreditch,
London,
E2
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5 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Learn some crafty manouveurs at Making Space where classes on mask making, glass engraving, pyrography (burning patterns into wood or leather), chainmail knitting, and book ...More...
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| London Education |
| Shaker Cocktail Classes |
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Holywell Centre,
1
Phipp Street,
Shoreditch,
London,
EC2A
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10 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| There's a real art to making cocktails. Don't be fooled into thinking it's all about shaking vigorously and pouring because, to be a proper cocktail ...More...
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Local
Leisure Near Au Lac |
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| London Leisure |
| The Circus Space |
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Coronet Street,
Hoxton,
London,
N1
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6 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Fantastic education in the complete selection of circus arts, including a degree in circus performance and an affordable six-week clowning course. They also present regular ...More...
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| London Leisure |
| All Star Lanes, Brick Lane |
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95
Brick Lane,
Shoreditch,
London,
E1
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14 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| The third of these increasingly popular 1950s retro-America style bowling alleys opened in late 2008 to much critical acclaim. Located in the Old Truman Brewery ...More...
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| London Pubs |
| Bar Kick |
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127
Shoreditch High Street,
Shoreditch,
London,
E1
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5 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Fashionable Shoreditch drinkers are attracted to this cellar bar by its rickety old furniture, interesting imported beers, and a pricy, but very tasty selection of ...More...
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| London Pubs |
| Strongrooms |
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120
Curtain Road,
Shoreditch,
London,
EC2A
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6 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Since opening in 2000 - in the midst of Shoreditch’s sea of pubs and clubs - this venue has been an unhurried but consistent success ...More...
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Local
Nightlife Near Au Lac |
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| London Nightlife |
| Cargo |
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83
Rivington Street,
Kingsland Viaduct,
Shoreditch,
London,
EC2A
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6 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Cargo were pioneers of the multi-tasking MDF concept (that's Music-Dance-Food, not cheap fibreboard) and boast one of the most imaginative live music line-ups in the ...More...
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| London Nightlife |
| Plastic People |
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147
- 149 Curtain Road,
Shoreditch,
London,
EC2A
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6 minutes distance from Au Lac
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| Plastic People boasts the best sound system in Shoreditch. This friendly, unpretentious space serves up seriously fresh music to a loyal crowd. Their no-frills ...More...
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Local
Business Near Au Lac |
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| London Business |
| First Option Studio |
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11
Perseverance Works,
38 Kingsland Road,
E2
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2 minutes distance from Au Lac
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